This limited edition Old Pulteney 1990 vintage says lightly peated on the label, but contrary to what you would expect, it’s not made from peated malt. Instead it was classic (unpeated) Old Pulteney spirit matured in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks that previously held heavily peated spirit.
Although the distillery is not giving further information about the provenance of the casks, I’m wondering how this relates to the Old Pulteney 1990 cask #5253 that I’ve tried (a cask bought from Laphroaig) and the Balblair 1990 cask #1463 (Balblair and Old Pulteney are part of the same group). Apparently both distilleries did the same experiment at the same time.
Old Pulteney 1990 ‘Lightly Peated’ (46%, OB 2014, Limited edition, 900 btl.)
Nose: not much peat so far, more like a gentle smokiness. Otherwise very malty and rather sweet, with apple, peardrops and honey. Sweet citrus. Also a leafy, slightly dusty side and a very hints of sour dough and pepper.
Mouth: much more peat now. It seems to highlight Old Pulteney’s coastal, bitterish, oily Manzanilla-like character. Plenty of grapefruit zest. Underneath there are sweeter notes of honey and berry fruits.
Finish: long, with a similar bitterness, some woody notes, coastal elements and light smokiness.
An interesting variation on the original Old Pulteney character. The leafy, coastal side pairs well with the gentle peat but seems to clash with the sweet fruitiness of the spirit. On par with the single cask version I tried before, although the harshness surprised me a little. A nice curiosum. Around € 150.
Score: 86/100